Obstacles
by JD SPARKS
Summary: Marion's back. The road to "True Love" seems far from easy. Will Regina and Robin's love be able to prevail? OutlawQueen. Regina x Robin Hood.
1. Chapter 1: The Return

**Author's Notes: Okay so. First Story EVER! Seriously I've been a long time user, but I've never written anything. Well anything that I've published. I've never actually been caught up on stuff, I usually watch series way after they've finished. I finally got DV-R and can watch Once as it airs. That being said I decided to try my hand at writing something because I can't deal with all the feels. This is my attempt to cope with the season finale.**

**I apologize profusely for how amateur this probably reads. For one thing I've noticed that these chapters are super short! I'll try and put more in future chapters. I just was going to move into a Robin's POV and thought I should separate chapters that way. But I feel like I'd have way too many chapters going about it that way. Also my summary sucks. Sorry this doesn't get much past the episode ending! More to come. Thanks for reading. Please review.  
**

* * *

**STORY NOTE: This is an AlternateU. I'm not going to deal with writing the arrival and appearance of Elsa, I'll leave that to the brillant OuaT minds. This is mostly just an OutlawQueen fic. Sorry. First story, not ready to try my hand in full on episodes with the entire cast. :)**

"Marion!" Robin cried out silencing the room.

"ROBIN?!" Marion rushed to him in return.

"I can't believe it! I thought I'd never see you again!" Robin exclaimed as he embraced his long-lost wife.

"Mommy?" Little Roland asked quietly as he peeked out from behind Robin's legs.

"Roland!" Marion reached down and took her child in her arms, crying openly. Tears of joy and relief washing over the three of them as they held each other tightly.

It was a reunion filled with love. A reunion that no one thought possible. A figure long thought dead, appearing and completing the picture of a perfect family. The scene would have been rather touching, if it hadn't meant the utter end of Regina's own happiness. In mere seconds, it was as if all her joy, everything she had hoped and dreamed of in the last few days, had just shattered and was falling to a million pieces all around her.

She couldn't think. She couldn't breathe. The last few moments felt like an eternity as she stood there watching the scene before her.

Marion. Its. Not. Possible. She's dead. She's supposed to be dead. What was happening? It seemed like an eternity before she was able to connect the dots. Emma. She was going on about having come back from the past. About having brought someone back who still thought of her as the Evil Queen. That someone, the person Emma brought back...was Marion. Which meant Marion wasn't dead. Which meant everything she was witnessing was real. Viable. Not just some illusion. Not a trick some evil witch or wizard was playing to toy with her. Although she was wishing with every fiber of her being that perhaps one of the latter was true.

Emma. This was her fault. She could feel her rage rising. Anger, hatred and revenge; feelings that were all too familiar were starting to creep over her. She could feel her fists trembling. The emotions fighting to take over. Begging her to let them in, to let them be her companions once more, as they had been for the last few decades.

"You. You did this!" She knows that it comes out harsher and crueler than she intends it to sound, but her emotions are running to hot now and though she is trying to remain in control a touch of venom escapes in her words. She looks up at Emma, but she then realized her own horror and confusion is reflected on the blonde woman's face.

_No. She didn't know. _Regina thinks to herself even as the words are coming out of Emma's mouth.

Emma's eyes and expression told Regina that she wasn't lying. The blonde woman's actions were not an intentional attempt to ruin Regina's happiness, just something that seemed to come from the Charmings. Their unseen ability to create chaos and destruction in Regina's life never seemed to fail.

".-just wanted to save her life." Emma finished her sad attempt to explain herself.

"Just like your mother. Never thinking about the consequences of your actions." It was petty. Regina knew it. She was trying to be above statements like these, but it was easy to slip back into old habits.

She looked back over her shoulder at the Hoods. They were still lost in their tears of joy and embraces. Struggling to catch up on what happened and why they were separated to begin with.

The room was starting to blur. Regina realized quickly that tears had started welling up in her own eyes. She couldn't let them see her cry. Not here with half the town gathered to meet the Charmings' newest baby. She quickly spun on her heel and headed out the door.

She heard Emma call out to her. "Re-Regina.. I'm sorry..."

She didn't stop. She picked up her pace as the tears began falling freely. Then she heard Robin calling for her.

"Regina! Regina wait!"

She didn't want to face him. Not now. She conjured up a simple transportation spell and disappeared in a puff of smoke.


	2. Chapter 2: Hood Family Reunion

**Author's Note: Sorry this is more like Part 2 of Chapter 1, but oh well. Short because I split them in half. o.O**

**Still first fic. Please R&R.**

* * *

Robin's POV.

Robin was just getting Roland settled in the booth. His son beamed a bright smile up at him, the smile was infectious and it instantly lit up his own face. He was so happy. Things with him and Regina were going amazingly well, and he dared not hope that perhaps she would be the one to fill the void. Roland deserved a mother figure, and Robin, could it be that it was time for him to deserve some joy as well?

He finished removing Roland's coat and tucked it on the other side of the booth.

"Where's the baby?" Roland asked excitedly.

"I think I spotted them just around the back. Let's go say 'hello' shall we?" Robin had just got up from his seat when he caught a glimpse of a ghost.

Marion. The woman across the room looked just like his Marion. Was his mind playing tricks on him? He blinked again. She was still there.

"Marion!" He exclaimed, not caring that the whole of the diner stopped at his abrupt outburst.

"Robin!" The woman called back. It was her! That was her voice. A voice he hadn't heard in years.

He quickly covered the distance between them and took his wife, his Marion, in his arms. He held her to him tightly, scared that she would disappear again, hardly believing that this was real. "I thought I would never see you again!" He held her out at arms length, looking over her. She looked just as she had years before when he thought he's lost her. He then brought her into another embrace, all the while kissing her head repeatedly and inwardly thanking God for her safe return. A wave of relief and joy washed over him and he found himself crying tears of joy.

"Mommy?" Roland had gotten out of the booth and was curiously looking at the woman. Though Roland had been merely a toddler when Marion had disappeared, he apparently recognized her instantly, and she him.

"ROLAND!" Marion picked him up and began placing kisses on his forehead and cheeks. Roland clung to his mother crying openly. Robin wrapped his arms around the both of them.

"We looked everywhere for you! We were never able to find you." Robin tried explaining. "I thought you were dead. I'm sorry. Forgive me, I never should have stopped looking."

She shook her head trying to explain. "I wanted to tell you. I had to leave Roland. It wasn't safe. I had taken in a girl, a bandit, like you..."

"R-Regina!.. I'm sorry."

Regina. Next to him, Robin heard Emma cry out to Regina. It took him a moment to remember what was happening. Seeing Marion again had completely removed him from his surroundings. He was here, with Regina. He was with Regina now.

"Marion. Hold on one moment." He said, interrupting her story. He wheeled about looking around the crowded diner. Just out of the corner of the window, through the blinds, he could see Regina's raven hair as she strode away from Granny's. He quickly moved out the door, leaving Marion standing there aghast.

"Regina! Regina wait!" He called. He started at a quick jog towards her, just as he was getting closer she disappeared. Purple smoke trails lingering where his lover once stood.

"Regina." He said aloud. Knowing it was too late. She was gone.

His mind raced. Two women, and he loved them both. This was going to be complicated. He kicked a rock on the sidewalk in frustration. Then he pivoted around and headed back for the diner. He'd have to talk to Regina later. When he could find her.

As he walked back toward the diner he found Marion standing outside with Roland in her arms, she was looking at him with a puzzled look on her face.

"I'm sorry. I-" Robin started.

"Was that The Evil Queen?" Marion asked pointedly.

"Regina. No. I mean, yes. She WAS the Evil Queen, but no longer. That's not who she is anymore." Robin tried to explain.

"Regina is our friend!" Roland exclaimed. Robin gave him a quick smile and ruffled his hair.

"Your friend? No baby. That woman is evil." Marion stated to Roland.

"Now hang on, Regina isn't evil. You've missed a lot in the last few years Marion. Lets sit down, and I can explain."

"Explain what? Robin, that woman nearly had me killed!" Marion cried.

"What are you talking about? Didn't the Sheriff of Nottingham kil-kidnap you?" Now it was Robin asking the questions.

"NO, ROBIN. It was the Evil Queen. I was trying to tell you that before you ran out of here."

Now they sat down at one of the outdoor tables.

"I had taken in a bandit. Snow White. I just hid her for the night. You, John and the other men were out on a raid. The Evil Queen somehow knew Snow White had been at the house. She sent her Black Knights out to find Snow the next day, but she had long since left by this time. They were banging on the door. I left Roland sleeping in the back. When I opened the door, and it was the Queen with her soldiers."

Marion continued. "They demanded that I tell them where Snow was going. I refused. Then the Evil Queen had her knights take me. I cried out, I tried to run. I couldn't even get to Roland, couldn't tell anyone what was happening or where I was going!" She started crying. She was obviously still shaken. "They took me to her palace, where I was being held at the dungeon to await my execution the next morning. It was in that dungeon that your friend Princess Leia... I mean, Emma...found me."

Robin's face lost color. This was nothing at all like what he and his men had guessed had happened. They had found Roland alone in the house, crying on the floor. He was covered in filth, perhaps a day had passed. The door still ajar. There were vegetables on the counter partially cut, more evidence that Marion had left or been taken while in the midst of making dinner.

They had searched for days in the area, asked around at all the neighboring villages and huts. No one knew or had seen Marion. After months, Robin had finally had to come to terms with the fact that his wife was gone. He feared the worst. That the Sheriff had discovered who he was and where he lived. That he had come at a time when Robin was out, and that Marion had suffered at his wrath.

But here was Marion, alive and well. Not having aged a day, and revealing to them the truth. That The Evil Queen, no that Regina, had been behind her disappearance, and for so many years what Robin thought was her death.

* * *

**Yay! Okay so first fic ever. This is actually where I stopped writing for the night. I ****was kind of curious how they are going to tie all of Robin's descriptions of "Inadvertently putting his wife in harm's way." Also with the way they changed the past to tie in Marion, I kind of think a thing like Regina being the responsible party would be a huge deal, so I'm guessing Robin didn't know who killed Marion. Otherwise I imagined his story would be more like Hook's one of sworn revenge!**

**Whoa it's 1am. Gotta get to bed, work in the morning. Thanks for reading. :)**


	3. Chapter 3: Regina

**Author's Notes: Wow! Thanks so much for the great reviews guys! I'm so glad you guys like my first feeble attempts at fanfiction! I appreciate all the comments and suggestions, I think a lot of us great minds really do think alike because I agreed with almost everything you guys said, and a lot of you may find similar threads of thought in this fic. :)**

**I will say, as a novice writer, I have to give mad props to all of you out there who do this often! **

**Its much more difficult than I ever imagined, having come from years of reading, but never actually writing. I definitely feel that I've gone about this in the most unorganized way possible. I just went all in without much of a plan. So today I actually sat down and tried to draft up some notes and an outline because I was absolutely overwhelmed with all the possible routes to take the story. What to include, what not to, WHO to include, and who to leave out. I've got a vague sort of idea what I want to happen. I think I'm mostly keeping this strictly OutlawQueen so probably won't delve too much into the other characters. I mean they all sort of witnessed the diner incident, and did nothing, because I didn't want to do a 3rd diner scene perspective. I'm going to just sort of gloss over that. haha. These are the sort of things that have been plaguing me all day! Whelp on to the next chapter: enjoy!**

* * *

Regina completed the teleportation spell, and arrived in front of her house. She quickly found her keys and opened the front door. She turned around and placed her forehead against it. As she leaned into the door, closing it in the process, she finally let the tears fall.

Why? Why does everything and everyone in the universe seem to be against her? Cursed. She must be cursed. She kept replaying the scene from the diner in her mind. Robin embracing Marion. Robin embracing his wife and son. A picture perfect family, made WHOLE once again.

It was almost hers. Just hours before, not even that, mere minutes previous, it had been her. Just her, Robin, and Roland. Her body shook with a new wave of tears. She felt silly. She knew it was too early to know what would happen, but that didn't stop the hurt. Didn't numb her to the pain she was feeling. She was forgotten. She would be forgotten. She shouldn't be this upset, but she couldn't help it. She cried more openly, freely, knowing no one was around to hear her sobs. She gave out a little cry and beat her fist on the door in anguish.

Her hand slid down the door and reached up to clutch at her blouse over her beating heart. So far her heart had been nothing but trouble. She wished Snow hadn't caught her trying to bury it in the Enchanted Forest. She wanted to be rid of the thing. This thing that wouldn't stop feeling; that wouldn't stop causing her pain.

It was her own fault. She NEVER should have let Robin in. Never should have let him get close. She had begun to hope, to feel. The past few weeks had been almost like a dream. She'd been experiencing feelings of joy and love, different from those she felt with and for her son. She had transformed into a silly love struck teen again, complete with butterflies in her stomach and a constant smile glued to her face. It was a state of being that she hadn't experienced since the early days with Daniel. She had been blissfully happy in the comfort of new love, with not a care in the world, even with her sister, Zelena, running around hell bent on destroying her life. She almost hadn't cared that Zelena wanted to ruin everything she had, because he was there with her. Robin Hood. He'd saved her from the darkness. Helped her find the light. Helped her see that she wasn't alone.

Now that was over. The arrival of Marion would have dire effects on their budding relationship. How could it not? After all Regina was just his "second chance." What did anyone need a second chance for if they never lost the first? She wept more, sliding down the door to sit on the cold tile. She sat there crying until she could cry no more. She'd run out of tears and her sobs had gradually become softer, her breathing slowed and steadied. She sat there for a moment in a daze, trying to not think or feel for fear of having another onset of waterworks.

* * *

Sometime later her phone rang in her purse. She opened her bag and glanced at the screen. It was Henry.

Henry. Of course, he would have heard about what went down at the diner. Even if he wasn't close enough to hear it all, he probably could have guessed or possibly just asked anyone. She was sure there'd be enough gossip to go round, as half the town was present after all.

She quickly wiped away her tears with one hand while pulling her phone out with the other. She took in a large breath, clearing her throat and slipped back behind her carefully crafted mask. The mask of a Queen. Evil or not. She wouldn't show weakness.

"Henry. Is everything okay?" She asked in a calm and collected voice.

"Mom." There was a sigh of relief in her son's voice. "Are you okay?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" Regina continued the facade.

"I saw what happened, and I talked to Emma. I saw Robin Hood with.. that woman."

"His wife. Marion." Regina stated. There was a pregnant pause. She hoped he didn't hear the waver in her voice as she tried to retain her composure.

"Are you sure you are okay? I know you and Robin were..."

"Friends. We were just friends. I'm fine Henry. I'm happy for him." She smiled slightly. She should be happy for him, and a part of her was. Happy because he was happy, because she loved him. His happiness was what mattered to her now, even if it meant her own misery.

Is this what it was to be good? Or to truly be in love? In the past she would have probably raged at the world. She would probably have begun an elaborate plan to kill Marion, the woman who stood in the way of her path to bliss. She would have blamed Emma certainly. It was her careless actions that caused of all of this. In fact she nearly had turned back into the Evil Queen before Emma, in those first few seconds, before she remembered who she was now. Who she was for Henry. For Henry she wouldn't let the darkness and hatred take over. For Henry she'd stay true to being someone who he would want to call a mother. For Henry...and for Robin. Because even if she was going to have to let him go, she wanted to keep herself the woman that he loved. The woman she could have been if she'd just been brave enough to open that tavern door so many years ago.

"Mom?" Henry asked on the other end of the line.

"Yes dear?"

"I love you." Her Henry. She felt better knowing that at least she had not lost him.

"I love you too, Henry."

"Hey, maybe after this party wraps up, I can come over and stay the night? I can have Emma drive me over when we finish up here. If you don't mind of course."

"Sure honey. I'd like that...I'd like that very much." She smiled softly.

"Great, so I'll see you soon!"

"Yes. See you soon." She hung up the phone.

She was wrong. She wasn't alone.

* * *

She tried to busy herself with prepping everything for Henry's stay. She made sure his bed was made up. She cleaned up the kitchen and decided to clean out the fridge. She went to the living room and saw the bottle of Merlot and two wine glasses, still sitting out on the coffee table. She didn't even want to clean them. She waved her hand and magically removed them from her home dropping them into a nearby chasm. The same one she'd trained Emma at just days before.

It was a small help, knowing that they'd shatter on the rocky cliffs below. She laughed at a ridiculous notion that perhaps she wouldn't have been evil if she'd just had a rocky drop and lots of dinnerware. She was feeling better. She tried not to think about tonight's events and instead think about her love for her son. Focusing on how happy she was before she'd met Robin, when her son's love had been all she needed.

The doorbell rang. Henry.

She smiled slightly as an idea of what they could do suddenly struck her. She went to answer the door, quickly she conjured up a copy of the latest comic book movie in her hand. She was pretty sure he hadn't seen this one, since she'd magically conjured up the DVD before they'd even hit the shelves. She grabbed the door handle swinging it open.

"So, I thought we'd watch Captain Amer-" She stopped mid-sentence as she found herself face to face with Robin.


	4. Chapter 4: Confrontation

**Author's Note: Man thanks again to everyone for the reviews! I really appreciate all the feedback! Sorry it took me a little while to get this one out. I got pretty tired the last couple of nights and decided to just turn in early rather than stay up and keep writing, but the weekend finally came around and gave me a chance to put down another chapter. I present to you: Chapter 4. As always please R&R. :)**

* * *

They stared at one another for what felt like an eternity. The air around them was heavy with the silence, the world around them seeming to stop as the seconds that passed slowed to standstill. It seemed, to Regina, as though they each were standing on opposite ends of that very chasm that she had magically transported the remnants of their fireside date to. Although, in reality, the distance between them was no more than a few feet.

Though neither one had said anything, Regina had a pretty good idea of what Robin had come to say. He'd come to tell her that it was over. That they had had fun, but the appearance of Marion meant it was time for him to return to his family. He would tell her he was sorry, she was sure. Probably go on about how he never meant to hurt her. How he thought that his wife was dead, and that starting a relationship with her had been an error made from this belief, and now that Marion was back, he and Roland owed it to her to return to their family life, without Regina.

Her eyes started to water again as the conversation was playing out in her mind. Unspoken words already causing a sharp pain in her heart. She only hoped that it wasn't visible to him. She didn't want to appear weak or upset. She didn't want to make the situation worse by seeming desperate or give him reason to feel pity for her. She didn't want him to know how attached she'd gotten to him in the few days they had been seeing one another. She knew her feelings for him ran much deeper than they probably should have considering they'd only just met. She couldn't even be sure he felt the same for her. After all, they'd never really exchanged 'I love you's or anything of that nature.

Aside from physical closeness, they hadn't really gotten much of a chance to get close emotionally. She and Robin hadn't really bonded, though Regina felt that he sometimes knew her better than she knew herself. They had finally started getting to really know one another just this afternoon, and foolishly Regina had revealed the whole story about his tattoo and Tink. Why had she gone and told him those things?! It was nothing more than a silly hypothetical theory, if that, that had come from the word of an bungling amateur of a fairy. She never should have believed anything Tink had told her, and now she'd gone and confessed it to him!

Perhaps he'd forget, or chalk it up to silly nonsense exchanged between them when they were giddy with the excitement of their new romance. A romance that Marion had dampened like a giant wet blanket. Regina silently prepared herself for the coming talk. She'd let him say his peace and be on his merry way, so that she could start moving on.

Robin too was trying to prepare himself for what he was going to say. He was relieved to see a smile on Regina's face as she answered the door. He was once again caught off guard by just how beautiful she was.

He had not thought much about what exactly he was going to do in regards to Regina and Marion, but there were a few things he knew needed to be done first. He needed to clarify the things that Marion had said. He needed to ask Regina if there was any truth to what his wife had told him about her disappearance. More over, he wanted to know, HAD to know, what Regina was thinking, and why she had left so abruptly.

The appearance of Marion had been a complete shock. At the time, in his utter surprise and stupor, he had completely forgotten about what was going on around him. He had no idea how long he'd been removed from what was happening in the diner around them nor when or why Regina had left. He had had every intention of introducing the two of them, but Regina hadn't given him a chance. She had run out of the diner without telling him what was going on. He was worried that something was seriously wrong.

"Regina..." He said, finally breaching the silence. He studied her. Her smile faded slightly, and could tell that he wasn't who she was expecting.

"Robin." She said, her previous smile now feeling forced.

"I hope that I did not upset Milady, earlier in the diner. You had left in such a hurry, and I had to be sure that you were okay."

"Oh." Regina feigned indifference. "Yes. Sorry about that, I forgot that I had some paperwork to finish up, and I figured since you were busy I'd go ahead and take care of it."

Robin's look told her that he wasn't buying it.

"Yes well I cannot help but feel that I am to blame, and I must offer my deepest apologies. When I saw Marion tonight...alive. I just had never thought, never imagined, that I would see her again." Even now Marion's appearance still hadn't sunk in completely with him. "Her arrival had come as a complete surprise and I must admit that I was so caught up in the moment, I failed to acknowledge anything else."

Regina held up her hand. "You don't have to apologize. As I said, I had some business that I needed to tend to." He eyed her warily, she seemed determined not to tell him the real reason she left. "So...that was Marion?" Regina continued.

"Yes. Indeed that was Marion. It's incredible. Unbelievable really. All these years I had thought she was dead. It's.. it's nothing short of a miracle." Robin said.

"Yes, a 'miracle.'" She said, and Robin picked up on the hint of sadness in her voice. He need to tread more carefully, he reminded himself. She put on a face, but she wasn't as strong or aloof as she'd like people to think.

"Is your 'miracle' with you now?" She asked as she leaned forward to look past him. The movement brought her nearer to Robin, which was not helpful. The close proximity made it difficult for Robin to concentrate on what he had come to say. His thoughts now focused on wanting to reach out and hold her, to kiss her, to worship this beautiful goddess before him. He took a step back in an effort to regain control. He needed answers first. He needed to figure out what he was going to do now that Marion had come back into his life. The movement did not go unnoticed, and he sensed Regina stiffen in response.

"No. I have escorted Marion and Roland back to the camp with the Merry Men." He responded in answer to her question. He wanted to quickly settle the issue so that he could sort out his life with all the facts before him. "I needed to come and speak with you. Would you mind if I come in?"

It was the moment she was dreading. She wanted to run, to hide from what was coming. As much as she had tried to steel herself mentally and prepare for having to talk to him, the knots in her stomach would not go away. She had seen how he moved away from her a moment ago. He was not here to return to their torrid romance. No he was here with a purpose. She could sense this from the start. It felt so formal, the exchanges between them such a stark contrast to how they had acted around one another only hours before.

Without a hint of the inner turmoil she was going through. She politely stepped to the side and gestured for Robin to enter. "Be my guest."

Robin politely stepped past her into the house. He walked further into the corridor and turned as she shut the front door.

"Forgive my intrusion. Were you expecting another?" He nodded to the box in her hand?

She looked down realizing she was still holding the DVD in her hands. "Oh. Yes, Henry was going to come by after the party." She set the DVD on the table by the door.

"I promise I will not take too much of your time then." Robin replied, and Regina frowned inwardly at the comment.

_At least he's going to make it quick, crush my heart and be done with it._ She thought to herself.

"Earlier, Marion informed me of some disturbing information in regards to her disappearance. I'm afraid that I cannot take them lightly as they have a great deal to do with you, milady. I came at once because I have to know if there is any truth to her words." Robin stated.

"Oh and what is it that your not-so-dead wife is saying about me?"

"She said that when she disappeared, during that time I feared her dead, that she was slated for execution by none other than yourself. In fact had the Lady Emma not saved her from your dungeon, she would have been killed by your Black Knights that very morning." Robin's deep blue eyes were intently staring at her. A mixture of hurt and anger resounded in his voice.

Regina was not sure what he wanted from her. Perhaps he was looking for a reason, maybe he was searching for an excuse to break up with her and thereby feel better and more at peace with himself for doing so.

"And?" Regina brazenly replied.

"And, is it true? Did you order the execution of my wife? Did you have her removed from her home, stolen away from her infant son, her family, and placed in your dungeon to await execution?" Robin's voice was elevated now. He stepped closer to Regina, face angry with the heat of his words. "Did you sentence a poor woman whose only crime was nothing more than having fed and sheltered a frightened girl, who was little more than a child, for a single night?" His eyes bore into hers demanding answers.

Regina was a flustered. This hadn't been the conversation she had been playing out in her head. She hadn't prepared herself to be on trial about some past crimes.

"And what if I did?" He looked a little shocked at the boldness of her remark. She wasn't going to grovel, or beg for forgiveness. She moved past him, away from his glaring eyes as she continued in her defiance.

"Did you think I'd remember some little nobody that I ordered killed from years ago? Even longer if you count the timeless loop we've been in while under my curse. News flash, I was THE Evil Queen." She spun around to face him again.

"I've killed lots of people in my quest to find and destroy Snow White, was I supposed to remember one out of the HUNDREDS?" Now hers was the voice that was raised. "Was I supposed to take down names and make connections between all of my countless victims?" She saw the shock in his face and took a moment to calm herself. She had gotten a little carried away and could tell that her defensive comments were now coming off as heartless.

"Look, I'm sorry that your wife got caught up in my quest for vengeance, but I, unlike Ms. Emma Swan, cannot change the past. What I did is done, and I cannot take any of it back." She cast her eyes at the floor, she no longer wanted Robin's eyes looking at her. Robin could tell that though she was trying to remain guarded, she was feeling genuine regret and remorse about her violent and sadistic past.

"But you already knew all this about me." She looked up at him, before quickly turning away. "I... I don't know what you want from me." As Robin stared at the back of her, there was a slight shaking starting from her frame. Soon it became apparent that she was crying.

_This. This is what I wanted. _Robin thought. He hadn't exactly known what he was expecting from Regina, until he saw it before him. His desire was not to make Regina cry. He never wanted to intentionally hurt this woman. However there was a part of him that wanted to be sure that she wasn't the woman she used to be. That the stories and tales of the Evil Queen, who was a woman feared and hated by almost everyone in the land, wasn't the woman he had come to care for these past few days. The woman that he had come to love.

Marion's words had frightened him. Fear caused by not only harrowing tale, but also by the realization that he failed her. He had given up on her. Given up hope of ever finding her again, and written her off as dead. What was worse was that he had finally gotten over her. He had finally chosen to move on. He had finally decided to not linger on the memory of his dead wife and to take a chance on happiness with another woman. The thing that made it worse was he HAD been happy, happier than he could remember feeling in a long time.

He would be lying to himself if he didn't admit that Marion's return hadn't caused him to be afraid. Afraid of what was going to happen. For Marion, they had been happy together just a few days before. For him, his and Marion's happiness was a long forgotten memory, and his happiness with Regina was what was fresh in his mind. But Marion saw Regina as nothing more than the Evil Queen, who only yesterday had imprisoned her and ordered her death. While Robin knew now, without any doubt, that the Evil Queen was not the woman standing before him.

Robin closed the distance between him and Regina's still shaking form. She sobbed silently, but as he placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her to him, pulling her into him, she cried more openly. He placed soft kisses on her head and ran his hand soothingly on her back as she cried.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry." She quietly said against his chest.

"Shhh.. No milady. I am the one who must apologize. Please, forgive me for making you cry." He gently wiped tears from her cheeks with the pads of his thumb. Holding her face in his hands. He delicately placed two kisses, one on each of her cheeks, before taking her mouth in his for a tender kiss.

* * *

**Yay! Sorry. Not the end but the end for today. :) Gotta get some sleep.**

**This has definitely been the hardest chapter so far to write! Sorry I kept flip flopping on who's perspective to write from, I was trying to keep it consistent but the way my mind thinks is crazy all over the place. It's been so long since I've been in a writing/grammar class. I totally don't remember any rules on narratives, and probably broke a bunch of them... I was just kind of running with it. And Robin! His proper english was giving me more of a hard time than I thought, I kept going back on sentences and being like "would he phrase it like this? No maybe more like this!" So again apologies on the delay. Thanks again for reading!**


End file.
